Acronym heaven: One aspect that’s extremely likely to send you up a tree in your first week in Majuro is the locals’ love for acronyms, many of which turn conversations into a pile of mumbo-jumbo. A case in point would be the following conversation:
Bloke A: “I just got in on AMI and have to be at WAM by one for a meeting. After that you can find me at the MIC.”
Bloke B: “While you were away, the MIJ reported that MEC had a power outage, MWSC upped the water days to seven, MISSA won a case in court, water flooded the ECC, and, FYI, I’ve switched my money from BOG to BOMI.” Bloke A: “Don’t bore me with the details. Just be sure to order me a G&T to have with my IQ when I see you in the pm.”
Acronym babble is so confusing, the following is the incomplete guide to letter-joining in RMI:
ADB: Asian Development Bank
AG: Attorney General or Auditor General
AHS: Assumption High School
AMI: Air Marshall Islands
AOG: Assembly of God
BOG: Bank of Guam
BOMI: Bank of Marshall Islands (pronounced as a word with the ‘o’ said as in ‘boat’)
CIA: Ministry of Culture and Internal Affairs
CMI: College of the Marshall Islands
DAR: Cafe on the back road in Uliga (formerly Dominick Auto Rental, pronounced as in ‘darling’)
DES: Delap Elementary School (plus, for example, RES for Rita Elementary, etc.)
ECC: Educational and Cultural Center
EPA: Environmental Protection Authority
EPPSO: Economic Policy Planning & Statistics Office (pronounced as written)
FAA: Federal Aviation Administration (US)
FAMI: Filipino Association Marshall Islands
ICC: International Conference Center (next to the Capital Building)
MALGov: Majuro Atoll Local Government (plus, for example, RALGov for Rongelap, etc., pronounced with ‘mal’ as in ‘gal’)
MBC: Marshalls Billfish Club
MBC: Marshalls Broadcasting Company
MEC: Marshalls Energy Company
MIC: Marshall Islands Club
MICNGOs: Marshall Islands Council of Non-Government Organizations (pronounced with ‘mic’ as in ‘Mick’ and ‘ngos’ as in ‘nose’)
MIHS: Marshall Islands High School
MIJ: Marshall Islands Journal
MIMRA: Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (pronounced with ‘mim’ as in ‘mimic’)
MIPA: Marshall Islands Ports Authority
MIR: Marshall Islands Resort
MISSA: Marshall Islands Social Security Administration (pronounced with ‘mis’ as in ‘miss’)
MJCC: Marshalls Japan Construction Company (Yamaha dealer)
MOHHS: Ministry of Health and Human Services
MST: Majuro Stevedore & Terminal Co.
MWSC: Majuro Water and Sewer Company
NCT: Nuclear Claims Tribunal
NRC: Ministery of Natural Resources and Commerce
NTA: National Telecommunications Authority
NTC: National Training Council
OCIT: Office of Commerce & Tourism (pronounced with ‘o’ is in ‘oh’ and ‘cit’ as in ‘sit’)
PII: Pacific International Inc.
PSC: Public Service Commission
PSS: Public School System
PWIU: Ministry of Public Works, Infrastructure and Information
RMI: Republic of the Marshall Islands
ROC: Republic of China (Taiwan)
RRE: Robert Reimers Enterprises
SDA: Seventh Day Adventists
TCIT: Ministry of Transportation, Communication and Information
USP: University of the South Pacific
WAM: Waan Aelon in Majel (Canoes of the Marshall Islands, pronounced as in ‘calm’)
